New Year's Weekend *cough* *cough*

My New Year was seven hours earlier than back home, so I stirred at around 7 or 8 am to find a host of well wishing messages which I was grateful for and replied to. So what did I do on New Year's Eve? If only I could remember?

I had a few after-work beers at the car park bar, and went for a nice pasta dinner with Patrick and his girlfriend at their new home (where I inadvisably switched to wine). But I had paid about £10 for a ticket to ring in the New Year at Saigon Outcast, an open air event space where most of my colleagues were going to end up.

Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, I was irresponsibly drunk and missed the countdown (I thought it would be more obvious, but maybe I was just too far gone) and woke up on New Year's Day morning feeling a little anticlimactic. I had a three day weekend ahead of me, but I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself, and was left wishing I'd planned another weekend getaway, or something like that.

But I have done a lot lately, there have been parties and drinking and Christmas... It's just strange to wake up alone the next day when the bubble bursts. I've neglected my hobbies this month, and I've not got a huge amount of money left, I decided to hunker down and do those this weekend. But hey, I ended up going out for a New Year's Day drink after all!

However, I also had something of a cough and sore throat, which wasn't ideal. Herein lies the most fascinating saga of my weekend. I didn't know where to get Lemsip or lozenges so I went for an Austrian-looking Worther's Original knock off.

Apparently you can get proper lozenges, but I didn't fancy venturing further than the co-op at the end of the road just yet!

I also got some honey (for which I needed the help of a small child who spoke more English than the shop assistant) to make some hot water with honey and lemon, although I had to settle for limes as the shop didn't seem to have any lemonade.

Individually wrapped and frustratingly tiny! Mmmmm.... 

Eventually I made it into town and to a pharmacy, and managed to source some (presumably) genuine Strepsils for under £1! Much cheaper than home. Move over Alpenliebe Original! Isn't my life interesting? ...

When life gives you limes...